Words to Love By

A Time magazine cover article named Rick Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world.Tens of millions of copies of Pastor Rick’s books have been published in 200 languages. His best-known books, The Purpose Driven Life and The Purpose Driven Church, were named three times in national surveys of pastors (by Gallup, Barna, and Lifeway) as the two most helpful books in print.Rick and his wife, Kay, founded Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He is the cofounder of Celebrate Recovery with John Baker.Pastor Rick has spoken in 165 nations. He has spoken at the United Nations, US Congress, numerous parliaments, the World Economic Forum, TED, Aspen Institute, and lectured at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, and other universities.Rick is executive director of Finishing the Task, a global movement of denominations, organizations, churches, and individuals working together on the Great Commission goals of ensuring that everyone everywhere has access to a Bible, a believer, and a local body of Christ.Ag Jatkowska has been drawing and playing with color ever since she can remember. She lives and works in the UK, illustrating books and greeting cards among other projects. Ag graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk (Poland) with an MA in Graphic Design and Illustration. In her spare time, she loves to discover new places and taking long walks with her husband and little son.

In supportive, uplifting fashion, Warren focuses on the multifaceted impact of words and being mindful of those we use with others. The straightforward, brief main text introduces concepts, which are enlivened by brightly colored cartoon illustrations incorporating examples of related words and language and featuring expressive, multicultural characters, predominantly kids, in connected activities. For instance, 'Words can show respect' depicts a boy saying, 'After you, Ma'am,' as he opens a door for a woman pushing stroller. Other scenarios highlight words for fostering inclusiveness and showing appreciation, as well as a faith-based element ('God wants you to have a heart filled with kindness and love'). Fanciful touches in the art help temper, though not undermine, some of the more cautionary assertions, such as 'Be careful with your words . . . you can't take them back,' accompanied by an image of a girl trying to scrub away the phrase 'I hate you.' With a gently emphasized Christian message at its core, this thought-provoking, motivational picture book is a nice additional to faith-based collections. -- Shelle Rosenfeld